ORGANISATION

Exclusive Privileges of Government

1. The Central Government has the exclusive privilege of conveying letters by post and of establishing, maintaining communications services within the Indian Union. The privileges and powers of the Government in respect of Postal and cognate matters are dealt with in the Indian Post Office Act. Officers of the Department are required to guard against any infringement of these privileges.
2. The Department of Posts comes under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The Postal Service Board, the apex management body of the Department, comprises the Chairman and three Members. The posts of the Director-General (Posts) and the Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology are also concurrently held by the Chairman. The three members of the Board hold portfolios of Operations, Development and Personnel respectively. The joint Secretary and Financial Advisor to the Department is a permanent invitee to the Board. The Board is assisted by a senior staff officer of the Directorate as Secretary to the Board. Deputy Directors General, Directors and Assistant Directors General provide the necessary functional support for the Board at the Headquarters.
1. For providing postal services, the whole country has been divided into twenty two postal circles. Each Circle is coterminous with a State except Gujarat (which also administers the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli) Kerala Circle (which includes the Union Territory of Lakshdweep) Maharashtra Circle (which has within its jurisdiction the State of Goa) North Eastern Circle (which comprises six North Eastern States-Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura) Punjab Circle (which has within its administrative jurisdiction, the Union Territory of Chandigarh); and Tamilnadu Circle (which also administers the Union Territory of Pondicherry). Eighteen Circles are headed by a Chief Postmaster General and three circles are headed by Principal Chief Postmaster General. Every Circle is divided into Regions comprising field units, called Divisions (Postal/RMS Divisions). Each Region is headed by a Postmaster General who is the Postal Manager of the area. In the Circles and Regions there are other functional units like Circle Stamp Depots, Postal Stores Depots and Mail Motor Service, etc. Besides these twenty two Circles, there is another Circle, called Base Circle, to cater to the postal communication needs of the Armed Forces. The Base Circle is headed by an officer in the rank of Major General called Additional Director General, Army Postal Service. The officer cadre of the Army Postal Service comprises officers on deputation from the Civil Posts. Seventy five percent of the other ranks of the Army Postal Service are also drawn from the Department of Posts and the remaining personnel are recruited by the Army.

The functions in respect of the following service matters are allocated to Members as under :—

(i)	Member (P):	Personnel & Training
		Establishment
		Quality Management and Public Grievances
		Medical
(ii)	Member (O & M):	Technology
		Mail Management
		Philately
		Business Development
		Marketing

(iii) Member (D): Financial Services Estates Policy Items & Postal Network Materials Management Postal Life Insurance Civil & Electrical Wing

3. The Vigilance, International Relations & Finance Advice reports to Secretary Posts.

Direction

4. For the purpose of administrative convenience, the Department is divided into three distinct wings, viz, Postal Operations, Civil Wing and Finance and Accounts. The Postal Services Board and the Director General are assisted in the general administration of these branches by Deputy Directors-General:

Chief Engineer (Civil) (HQ) is assisted by Civil and Electrical Supdt. Engineers, Exe. Engineers, Asstt. Engineers and Junior Engineers, Architects.

4 (a) The Deputy Directors General and the Chief Engineer (Civil) (HQ) are officers of the Senior Administrative Grade. All Directors are in the Junior Administrative/Selection Grade and the Assistant Directors-General are officers in the Senior Time Scale. Other officers Group ‘B’ G.C.S. are of the Service from which they are drawn. All officers are drawn from various services like the Indian Postal Service/P and T Finance and Accounts Service/Central Secretariat Service/General Central Service.

Headquarters

5. The Headquarters of the Postal Services Board, the Director-General and other officers of the Director-General are at New Delhi.

Duties

6. Deleted.

Circles

7. For the purpose of proper control, the Indian Postal Department is divided into 22 Postal Circles under the charge of Principal/Chief Postmaster General.

Name of Circle Headquarters

1. Andhra Pradesh Circle Hyderabad
2. Assam Circle Guwahati
3. Bihar Circle Patna
4. Chhattisgarh Circle Raipur
5. Delhi Circle New Delhi
6. Gujarat Circle Ahmedabad
7. Haryana Circle Ambala

8. Himachal Pradesh Circle	Shimla
9. Jammu & Kashmir Circle	Srinagar
10. Jharkhand Circle	Ranchi
11. Karnataka Circle	Bangalore
12. Kerala Circle	Thiruvananthapuram
13. Madhya Pradesh Circle	Bhopal
14. Maharashtra Circle	Mumbai
15. North Eastern Circle	Shillong
16. Orissa Circle	Bhubaneswar
17. Punjab Circle	Chandigarh
18. Rajasthan Circle	Jaipur
19. Tamilnadu Circle	Chennai
20. Uttar Pradesh Circle	Lucknow
21. Uttaranchal Circle	Deharadun
22. West Bengal Circle	Kolkata

One Base Circle named as Army Postal Service Corps for providing postal services to Armed Forces is also functioning at New Delhi.

7 (a) Under each Head of Circle/Region there are the following classes of officers to assist him in general administration and other work.

Postal Branch including RMS

At Circle level

(1)

Director, Postal Services.

(2)

Director, Postal Accounts.

(3)

Director, Foreign Post (at Kolkata, Chennai and New Delhi) & PMG, FM in Mumbai.

(4)

APMGs

(5)

Asstt. Director, Postal Services.

(6)

Accounts Officer.

(7)

Welfare Officer.

(8)

Hindi Officer.

At Regional Level

7. (b) Each Circle is divided into Regions which are under the control of Postmasters General.

(a)

PMG

(b)

Asstt. Director Postal Services.

(c)

Accounts Officer (where sanctioned)

7. (c) At Divisional Level

1. Senior Superintendents of Post Offices and Senior Superintendents of Railway Mail Service in-charge Postal/R.M.S. Division.
2. Superintendents of Post Offices and Superintendents of R.M.S. in-charge of Postal/R.M.S. Divisions.
3. Senior Manager/Manager Mail Motor Services.
4. Superintendent, Circle Stamps Depot.
5. Superintendent, Postal Stores Depot.
6. Sr. Superintendents/Supdts; (RMS) (Sorting).
7. Assistant Superintendents of Posts and Assistant Superintendents Railway Mail Service.
8. Inspectors Posts/Inspector, Railway Mail Service in-charge of Sub-Divisions.
9. Head Postmasters (including Presidency Postmasters).
10. Sub Postmasters.
11. Mail/Cash Overseers.
12. GDS Branch Postmasters.

7. (d) Civil Engineering

(a)

(i) Superintending Surveyor of Works

(ii)

Surveyor of Works

(iii) Assistant Surveyor of Works

(b)

(i) Superintending Engineer

(ii)

Engineer officers

(iii) Executive Engineer

(iv)

Accounts Officer

(v)

Assistant Engineers

(vi)

Junior Engineers

(vii) Junior Accounts Officers

DISCIPLINE

Deleted from P & T Manual Volume II and Incorporated in Postal Manual Volume III as Chapter I.

Rules 11 to 109.—Deleted.

CHAPTER III

APPEALS AND PETITIONS

Appeals

Rules 110 to 114.—Deleted.

Petitions

1. Any representation which is not an appeal should be designated as a petition. A petition, when not made against a decision on a previous communication, should be addressed to the authority competent to pass orders on the subject-matter and should be submitted through the proper channel.
2. Every employee wishing to submit a petition must do so separately, and the petition can be made only in respect of matters in which he has a personal interest. Joint petitions are inadmissible, but there is no objection to an identical petition being made by more than one employee, provided the circumstances and conditions of the case as represented in the petition apply personally to each individual employee by whom it is submitted. Petitions must not contain any irrelevant matter; they should be clear and concise and couched in respectful language and end with a specific prayer. Whenever practicable, they should be written in English.
3. A petition to a higher authority when made against the decision of a next lower authority, must be accompanied by a copy of the order against which it is made, and must be submitted through the officer by whom the order was passed (whether original or on petition) and addressed to the next higher authority. For instance, a petition against an order originally passed by an Inspector of Post Offices must, in the first instance, be submitted through him, be accompanied by a copy of his order, and be addressed to the Superintendent of the Division. If the petitioner is dissatisfied with the Superintendent’s order on his petition, it is open to him to submit a petition to the next higher authority, i.e. the Director of Postal Services and the petition to that officer must be submitted through the Superintendent and be accompanied by a copy of the Superintendent’s order. Similarly a petition against an order originally passed by a Superintendent of Post Offices or R. M. S., must in the first instance be submitted through him, be accompanied by a copy of his order, and be addressed to the Director of Postal Services as the case may be. Petitions against the decisions of DPS should be addressed to the Head of the Circle in the case of major circles and to the D.G. in the case of minor circles. Petitions against the decisions of Heads of Circles must be submitted to the D.G. through the Head of the circle or any authority directly subordinate to the D.G. and be accompanied by a copy of his order.

NOTE.—These instructions are applicable only to those cases which are not governed by the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965. Petitions under the CCS (CCA) Rules in disciplinary cases have to be addressed after the appellate authority stage to the Head of the Circle or Member (Personnel) where Head of Circle is the appellate authority. Petitions from Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand Circle where the Heads of Circles are of the Senior Administrative Grade would be considered by Member (Personnel). Review petition under Rule 29-A of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 to the President should be submitted through proper channel.

118. Deleted.

118-A. (1) Any petition or copy thereof which is sent direct to the Director General or to any subordinate authority, instead of through the proper channel, will be filed, no notice of any kind being taken of it.

(2)

In one class of case only may an exception be made to this rule. It occasionally happens that an aggrieved official complains that he can get no reply at all to petition submitted in the proper manner. In such a case a reminder should be sent to the proper authority. If no reply is still forthcoming, after a reasonable time has been allowed for it, this fact may be reported direct to higher authority, copy being sent invariably through the official channel. If such a case as this comes to the notice of the Director General or the Head of a Circle or any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General, his attention will be directed to the alleged failure of the proper authority to deal with the case and to ensuring that the regular system is worked properly, rather than to the merits of the case itself.

(3)

In the case of memorials addressed to the President or to the Government of India, no copies of such memorials should be forwarded by the memorialists direct to those authorities.

NOTE.—These rules apply also to petitions, representations and applications addressed to the Director General by persons who have left the Department, or whose services have been dispensed with or who have been dismissed or removed from service. All such communications must be submitted through the Head of the Circle or the Administrative Office under whom the persons were last employed.

118-B. The officer by whom a petition is received for onward transmission should forward it to the authority addressed, with a report giving a full statement of the case and a definite recommendation in respect of the prayer or prayers contained therein. Relevant documents (copies or in original) should also accompany the forwarding report. If a petition or any of the documents accompanying or sent with it is in any Indian language, an English translation of the document should be appended.

118-C. No petition lies to a higher authority except against the order of the next lower authority in which the latter authority is competent to pass orders on the subject-matter of the petition. For instance, in the illustration given in rule 117 a petition against the Inspector’s order does not lie to the Director of Postal Services if the Superintendent has not been previously addressed; and in such cases the petition is liable to be withheld by the Superintendent. Similarly, a petition against the order of a Superintendent of Post Offices or Railway Mail Service does not lie to the Head of the Circle if the Director of Postal Services has not been previously addressed; and in such cases the petition is liable to be withheld. A petition against the orders of any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General, should, however, be made to the Director General.

118-D Petition, to a higher authority against the orders of a lower authority are liable to be rejected without investigation if they are submitted more than six months after the date of communication to the petitioner of the order represented against.

NOTE.—The period of 6 months should count after the date on which the petitioner was informed of the original orders of the authority concerned and not the subsequent orders, if any, passed on a petition for reconsideration.

118-E. No authority below the rank of the Head of a Circle or Head of an Administrative Office directly subordinate to the Director General may withhold a petition addressed to a higher authority unless it relates to a subject on which the lower authority is competent to pass orders and no previous application for redress has been made to him. Whenever a petition is withheld under this rule, the fact that it has been withheld and the reason for withholding it must be communicated by the officer concerned to the petitioner as well as to the authority to whom the petition was addressed.

Petitions to the Director General

1. The instructions in the preceding rules apply also to petitions addressed to the Director General.
2. The Head of a Circle or any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General is however, vested with discretionary power to withhold petitions to the Director General in the following cases; and whenever this power is exercised, the fact and the reasons for it should be communicated to the petitioner :—

(a) In the case of a transfer ordered in the interest of service or the refusal of an application for a transfer including exchanges of stations at the expense of the officials concerned.

NOTE.—The mere fact of transfer to which every official is liable as a condition of his service cannot, in ordinary circumstances, be made a ground for representation to the Head of the Department; but a petition lies to the Director General in the case of an officer frequently transferred at short intervals and who makes this ground of his petition.

(b) In the case of a candidate for employment in the Department, a learner under training, a temporary or acting official, or a probationer, whom the Head of a Circle or any authority subordinate to him is competent to appoint and who is removed from the Department as having proved himself unfit for permanent employment.

NOTE.—This does include cases in which any of the officials mentioned above is discharged or dismissed or removed from service on account of some specific offence; whether proved or suspected e.g., participation in a fraud.

(c)

In the case of voluntary unconditional resignation of his appointment by an office.

(d)

In case a petition is illegible or unintelligible, or contains language which, in the opinion of the Head of the Circle or any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General, is disrespectful or improper.

(e)

In case a previous petition has been disposed of by the Director General and a fresh one is submitted disclosing no new facts or circumstances affording ground for reconsideration of the orders already passed.

(f)

In case a petition relates to a subject on which the Head of the Circle or any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General, is competent to pass orders and no previous application for redress has been made to them.

(g)

In case a petition to the Director General against the order of the Head of a Circle or any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General is not submitted within six months after the date on which the petitioner was informed of the order represented against, and no reasonable cause is shown for the delay.

NOTE.—The period of 6 months should count after the date on which the petitioner was informed of the original orders of the authority concerned and not the subsequent orders, if any, passed on a petition for reconsideration.

(h)

In the case of an application—

(i)

for employment in Government service not made in pursuance of any rule or announcement regarding applications for such employment; or

(ii)

for exemption from the provisions of any rule or order prescribing the qualifications to be possessed by persons for appointment in the service of Government.

(i)

In the case of a petition against termination of services under Rule 5 of the Central Civil Services (Temporary Service) Rules, 1965 if it is submitted after the expiry of three months—

(i)

in a case where notice is given, from the date of notice;

(ii)

in a case where no notice is given, from the date of termination of service.

121. The Head of a Circle or any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General will forward quarterly to the Director General a list of petitions withheld under rule 120.

Petitions to the President

122. The instructions for the submission of petitions to the President are reproduced in the succeeding rules. The petitions may also be addressed to the Secretary of the Government of India, Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications & IT. They must be submitted through the official superior of the petitioner. The instructions do not contemplate the submission of petitions to the Honorable Prime Minister or the Honourable Ministers in charge of the Ministry of Communications & IT or to the Secretary of the Department of Posts by name. No attention will be paid to petitions which are submitted direct and those addressed to the Honourable Prime Minister, Honourable Minister or the Secretary by name. Petitions which are submitted through the proper channel but are incorrectly addressed should be returned for correction before they are forwarded to the Directorate General.

Every petition to the President must be forwarded to the Director General by the Head of the Circle concerned or any other authority directly subordinate to the Director General accompanied by a concise statement of material facts and (unless there are special reasons for not doing so) an expression of his opinion.

NOTE.—Petitions to the Chairman of the Postal Services Board or to any other member of the Board will not be treated as petitions addressed either to the Director General or to the President. Such petitions should be returned to the petitioners for being addressed to the proper authority, namely, the President or the Director General as the case may be.

123. Instructions for the submission of petitions to the President from outsiders.

PART I PRELIMINARY

1. Definition.—For the purposes of these Instructions, “petition” includes memorials, letters and applications of the nature of petitions.
1. Scope of Instructions.—These Instructions shall apply, so far as may be, to all petitions addressed to the President relating to matters to which the executive authority of the President extends excepting—
1. petitions submitted by, or on behalf of, persons sentenced by a court of law to death or to any other punishment;
2. petitions submitted by, or on behalf of, persons who are or have been in the service of the Union of India in respect of matters arising out of such service or in respect of the termination of such service; and

(iii) petitions relating to bills pending before the Indian Parliament.

PART II FORM AND MANNER OF SUBMISSION OF PETITIONS

3. Form of petitions.—

(1)

A petition may be either in type or in print.

(2)

Every petition shall be authenticated by the signature of the Petitioner, or, when the petitioners are numerous, by the signatures of one or more of them.

(3)

Every petition and the documents accompanying it, shall, if possible, be in English; if not they shall be accompanied by an English translation authenticated in the manner provided in Sub-instruction (2).

4. Contents of petition.—Every petition shall—

(a)

contain all material statements and arguments relied upon by the petitioner;

(b)

be complete in itself;

(c)

in any recorded order of a public authority is complained against, be accompanied by a copy of the order and by a copy of any order in the case passed by the subordinate authority; and

(d)

end with a specific prayer.

5. Method of submission.—Every petition shall be submitted—

(a)

if it relates to a matter directly administered by the President through the Head of the Department concerned;

(b)

if it emanates from a Union Territory under a Lt. Governor, and is not covered by the preceding clause through the Chief Commissioner; and

(c)

in any other case to the President in the Ministry of Home Affairs; and shall be accompanied by a letter requesting the authority to submit the petition to the President.

PART III WITHHOLDING OF PETITIONS BY SUBORDINATE AUTHORITIES

6. Circumstances in which petitions may be withheld.—The petitions received by any authority under Sub-instructions (a) and (b) of instruction 5, may if it is an authority specified in the Schedule be withheld by that authority, when—

(1)

the petitioner has not complied in full with the provisions of Part II of those instructions;

(2)

the petition is illegible or unintelligible, or contains language which is in the opinion of the authority disloyal, disrespectful or improper;

(3)

a previous petition from the petitioner on the same subject has been disposed of by the Government of India, or the President, and the petition, in the opinion of the authority, discloses no new facts or circumstances which afford grounds for reconsideration of the subjects;

(4)

the petition is a representation against a decision which is declared to be final by any law or statutory rule;

(5)

the law provides a different or specific remedy in respect of the subject matter of the petition, whether or not any period of limitation prescribed for the prosecution of such remedy has expired;

(6)

the petition is in effect an appeal from a judicial decision;

(7)

the petition is a mere application for relief, pecuniary or other, which is—

(a)

presented by a person manifestly possessing no claim or advancing a claim of an obviously unsubstantial character; or

(b)

so belated that its consideration is clearly impossible.

(8)

the petition makes a proposal regarding legislation which the authority is not prepared to support;

(9)

the petition is a representation against the action of a private individual or of a body of private individuals regarding the private relations of the petitioner or such individual or body;

(10)

the petition relates to a matter in which the petitioner has no direct personal interest;

(11)

the petition relates to a subject on which the authority is competent to pass orders, and no application for redress has been made by the petitioner to the authority;

(12)

the petition is a representation against an order communicated to the petitioner more than six months before the submission of the petition and no satisfactory explanation to the delay is given;

(13)

the petition is a representation against a failure to exercise a discretion vested in the President or any other authority.

1. Petitioner to be informed when petition is withheld.—When a petition is withheld under Instruction 6, the authority shall inform the petitioner of the withholding and the reasons therefor.
2. List of petitions withheld.—The authorities mentioned in the Scheduled shall send a quarterly return to the President specifying all petitions, withheld under Instruction 6 and the reasons for withholding them.

PART IV TRANSMISSION OF PETITIONS BY SUBORDINATE AUTHORITIES

9. Procedure for Transmission.—

(1)

The authorities referred to in Sub-instructions (a) and (b) of Instruction 5 shall transmit to the President all petitions not withheld under Instruction 6 together with a concise statement of facts material thereto and an expression of the opinion of the authority concerned thereon.

(2)

Where the petition or any document accompanying it is not in English,—

(a)

if it is accompanied by an English translation, the authority shall examine the translation and report any defects found therein while transmitting the petition;

(b)

if it is not accompanied by an English translation the authority shall prepare such a translation and transmit it together with the petition.

SCHEDULE LIST OF SUBORDINATE AUTHORITIES WHO MAY WITHHOLD PETITIONS

(See Instruction 6)

1. All Heads of Departments directly administered by the President including :—

(a)

The Chief of the Army Staff in India;

(b)

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy;

(c)

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Headquarters, India; and

(d)

The Railway Board.

1. Army, District and Independent Brigade Commanders.
2. Lieut, Governors.

123-A. Instruction for the submission, receipt and transmission of petitions addressed to the President in respect of matters arising out of civil employment under the Government of India or the termination of such employment :

PART I PRELIMINARY

1. Definition.—In these instructions—

(1)

“Petition” includes a memorial, representation, letter or an application of the nature of a petition.

(2)

“Prescribed authority” means the appropriate authority specified in the Schedule to these Instructions.

2. Scope of Instructions.—(1) Save as hereinafter provided, these instructions shall apply—

(i)

So far as may be, to all petitions addressed to the President by persons who are, or have been, in the civil employment of the Government of India other than persons who are or have been under the administrative control of the Railway Board, and persons who are governed by the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969 in respect of matters arising out of such employment or in respect of the termination of such employment.

(ii)

Sofar as they are not inconsistent with the conditions of the Indian Army, Naval, or Air Force Service, to petitions addressed to the President by members of the Armed Forces, who are or have been in civil employment of the Government of India, in respect of matters arising from such employment.

(2) These instructions shall not affect any rules or orders made by the President in respect of representations submitted by Associations or Unions of Government servants.

PART II

FORM AND MANNER OF SUBMISSION OF PETITIONS

3. Form of petitions.—(1) Every petition shall be legible and may preferably be either in type-script or in print.

(2)

Every petition shall be authenticated by the signature of the petitioner and shall be submitted by him in his own behalf.

(3)

Every petition and any document accompanying it shall be in the official language of the Union or any of the regional languages specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution :

Provided that if a petitioner document is in a regional language, a translation thereof in the official language shall be furnished as far as possible alongwith such petition or document, but no petition shall be withheld on the ground only of such translation.

4. Contents of petitions.—Every petition shall—

(a)

contain all material statements and arguments relied upon by the petitioner;

(b)

be complete in itself and include a copy of the order complained against, as well as copies of orders, if any passed by subordinate authorities;

(c)

contain no disloyal, disrespectful or improper language;

(d)

end with a specific prayer.

5. Methods of submission of petitions.—

(1)

Every petition shall be submitted to the prescribed authority through the Head of the Office or Department to which the petitioner belongs or belonged, and shall be accompanied by a letter requesting the prescribed authority to transmit it to the President.

(2)

The Head of the Office or Department, on receipt of the petition submitted through him in accordance with sub-instruction (1), shall forward the petition through the usual official channel, to the prescribed authority; together with a concise statement of the facts, material thereto all relevant papers, and, unless there are special reasons to the contrary, an expression of his opinion thereon.

PART III WITHHOLDING OF PETITIONS BY THE PRESCRIBED AUTHORITY

6. Circumstances in which petitions may be withheld.—The prescribed authority may in its discretion, withhold a petition when—

(1)

the petitioner has not complied with any of the provisions of Part II; or

(2)

the petition is a representation against an order communicated to the petitioner more than six months before the submission of the petition, and no satisfactory explanation of the delay is given; or

(3)

a previous petition from the petitioner on the same subject has been disposed of by the President and the petition, in the opinion of the prescribed authority, discloses no new facts of circumstances which afford grounds for a reconsideration of the matter; or

(4)

the petition is a representation against a decision which is declared to be final by any law or statutory rule; or

(5)

the petition is an application for an employment under the Government not made in pursuance of any rule or announcement calling for applications for such employment; or

(6)

the petition relates to a subject on which the prescribed authority is competent to pass orders and no application for redress has been made by the petitioner to the prescribed authority; or

(7)

the petition is a representation against the non-exercise in favour of the petitioner of a discretion vested in the prescribed authority; or

(8)

the petition is a representation against the discharge or termination of service by a competent authority of the petitioner, having been—

(a)

appointed on probation, during or at the end of such probation;

(b)

appointed, otherwise than under contract, to hold a temporary appointment, on the expiration of the period of such appointment; or

(c)

engaged under contract, in accordance with the terms of such contract;

(9)

the petition is a representation against an order—

(a)

from which the petitioner has already exercised, or has failed to exercise, a right of appeal available under the rules or orders or the contract regulating his conditions of service;

(b)

passed by a competent authority in the exercise of appellate or revisional powers conferred by any rule, order or contract regarding his conditions of service; or

(10)

the petition is a representation against an order of a competent authority refusing to grant or recommended—

(i)

a special pension; or

(ii)

any pecuniary or other concession to which the petitioner is not entitled under any rules or orders or contract regulating his conditions of service.

1. Petitioner to be informed when position is withheld.—The prescribed authority shall, when a petition is withheld under Instruction 6, inform the petitioner of the withholding thereof and the reasons therefor.
1. List of petitions withheld.—
1. If the prescribed authority is other than the Secretary to the Government of India in the appropriate Ministry or Department, it shall submit to such Secretary a quarterly return specifying particulars of all petitions withheld by it under Instruction 6 and the reasons for withholding the same.
2. If the Secretary to the Government of India in the appropriate Ministry or Department is himself the prescribed authority, he shall prepare a quarterly return specifying particulars of petitions withheld by him under Instruction 6 and the reasons for withholding the same.

(iii) The returns prepared under Sub-instructions (i) and (ii) shall be dealt with in the manner provided in the rules made by the President for the transaction of the business of the Government of India.

(iv) If the President on a Scrutiny of the said returns or otherwise so directs, any or all of the petitions specified in the return under sub-instruction (i) shall be transmitted by the prescribed authority to the Secretary concerned or any or all of the petitions specified in the return under Sub-instruction (ii) shall be taken into consideration.

PART IV PROCEDURE IN RESPECT OF PETITIONS NOT WITHHELD

1. Procedure for transmission.—If the prescribed authority is other than the Secretary to the Government of India in the appropriate Ministry or Department, it shall transmit to such Secretary petitions not withheld under Instruction 6 and petitions called for under Instruction 8 together with a complete statement of the facts material thereto and all relevant papers, and, unless there are special reasons to the contrary, an expression of the opinion of the prescribed authority thereon.
2. Consideration of the petitions.—Petitions received in his capacity as the prescribed authority by the Secretary to the Government of India in the appropriate Ministry or Department and not withheld by him under Instruction 6, petitions taken into consideration under Sub-instruction (iii) or Instruction 8 and petitions transmitted to such Secretary under Instruction 9 shall thereafter be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Rules made by President for the transaction of the business of the Government of India.
3. Action to be taken after final orders are passed on petitions.—The prescribed authority shall himself give effect, or ensure that effect is given by the competent authority, to such orders as the President may pass on any petition and, if the prescribed authority is other than Secretary to the Government of India in the appropriate Ministry or Department, submit to such Secretary within a period of three months of the receipt of the orders a report of the action taken.

THE SCHEDULE

[See Instruction 1 (2)] List of authorities included in the term “prescribed authority”. In respect of persons who are or have been

employed—
(1)		in Ministries or Departments of the Government of India, the Secretary of the Ministry or Department;
(2)		in Attached Offices of the Government of India or in Offices subordinate to such Attached Offices, or in
		offices not subordinate to any Attached Offices, Heads of Department who are directly under the Govern
		ment of India;
(3)		in connection with the affairs of a Part ‘C’ State, Union Territory, the Chief Commissioner or Lieutenant
		Governor, as the case may be;
(4)		in lower formations under the Army, Navy or Air Force, the appropriate Principal Staff Officer at the Army
124. 124A. 124B. 125. 126.	}	Headquarters, Naval Headquarters and Air Headquarters. Deleted.

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER VI

STOCK PART I-GENERAL RULES NOTE 1.—The rules in this part apply to Post and RMS offices. NOTE 2.—The word “Depot” in these rules denotes the ‘Stock Depot’ in the case of the Post Offices and the Railway Mail Services and the “Store Depot”. NOTE 3.—The rules in this Chapter do not apply to engineering equipment nor to electric lights, fans and fittings.

Responsibility for stock

269. The officer in charge of an office is personally responsible for all articles of stock and departmental forms supplied to his office. He must be careful to see that the stock books are correctly prepared, that all articles received are duly entered in them, and that the disposal of all articles returned to the Depot, transferred to other offices, sold etc., is shown in them. He is required to submit indents or requisitions to the proper authority for any articles of stock that may be wanted for his office.

Typewriters, copying and other machines

269-A. (a) The method of supply of typewriters, etc., is laid down in Rule 29 of Appendix No. 10 to the P&T Financial Hand Book, Volume I, and Rules 357 to 360 of the Postal Manual, Volume II.

(b)

A machine card and register of typewriter for each typewriter will be maintained in manuscript in the form

(c)

The officer in charge or any other officer selected by him will be made responsible for the efficient maintenance of all typewriting, copying and similar machines in the office. He will inspect all machines monthly and note the fact of the inspection on the machine card. He will also see that the machine card and register of typewriter are maintained properly in the required form.

(d)

Each stenographer, typist or other official to whom a machine is issued will be incharge of the machine and responsible for its care and upkeep. He will clean the machine daily, and carry out the instructions issued by the makers for cleaning and oiling the machine. He will maintain correctly and up-to-date the machine card. He will lock the cover of the machine every day before leaving office, and will be held personally responsible for any damage to the machine, caused by carelessness or neglect, while the machine is in his charge.

(e)

The Government of India have entered into contracts with the leading makers of typewriters for the monthly or quarterly maintenance of all typewriters of those makes used by offices of the Government of India. Where such contracts have been made, the over-hauling or repair of a typewriter by any other firm or mechanic is prohibited.

(f)

No machine can be rejected as worn out or unfit for use until it has been condemned by a Condemnation Committee designated for the purpose. No machine should, however, be sent to it for condemnation until it has been

reproduced below :—
(For each Typewriter)			(To be kept in a register)
Make of machine		Model	Machine No.
Date of purchase	Price	Date of receipt	Date condemned

Date made over charge	Signature and designation of person taking over charge	Date of repairs	Nature of repairs	Cost of repairs	Remarks with initial and date of inspecting officer
1	2	3	4	5	6

examined by the local representatives of the makers and has been recommended by them for condemnation. In cases of heavy repairs, an estimate of repairs is to be given by the Company to the officer concerned who will send the estimate to the Committee for decision as to whether the machine should be repaired or sent to him for examination with a view to condemnation. In case he decides that the machine is repairable, but that the repairs are outside the contract, the Committee will intimate to the office concerned the cost of the repairs which shall be paid to the Company.

Classification and inventory of stock

269-B. The articles of stock such as plant and machinery, furniture and fixtures are classed “Dead Stock” and consumable and perishable articles come under the term “Stores”.

An inventory of the dead stock of plant and machinery in other branches and furniture and fixtures should be maintained in all offices of the Department, and it should be priced whenever the items mentioned therein have to be entered into the block account maintained for the Department or when the value of the items is necessary for calculating the charges to be levied upon the private persons or bodies or other Departments of Government. As regards other items a numerical inventory would suffice except for articles expensive. The inventory should ordinarily be maintained at the site of the dead stock and should be checked once a year by the head of the office or any other officer selected by the Head of the Circle.

A reliable list, inventory or account of all stores in an office, should be maintained, in the form prescribed for the purpose, to enable a ready verification of stores and check of accounts at any time and transactions must be recorded in it is as they occur. The list should be priced and both quantities and values should be recorded in it, in cases where the stores are intended to be converted into money or where it is necessary to distribute their cost over the works, items or objects on which they are actually used. Purely numerical list recording quantities only will suffice when the stores are intended solely for service of the Department and no distribution of their cost is necessary.

The form of stock book (S.K.-1) should be used in maintaining the inventories of both dead stock and stores. A set of rules showing the general principles laid down for the maintenance of inventories of departmental stores is reproduced in Appendix 12 of this Volume.

269-C. A detailed record of all losses of stock and stores should be maintained and an annual statement submitted to the Audit Office showing all deduction entries (other than issues) made in the inventory under the several headings shown in Rule 11 of Appendix 12 together with full particulars of the articles and the reason for removing them from stock.

Examination of locks

1. The officer in charge of an office must daily examine the condition of the locks of the main doors leading into the office and at least once a month that of the locks of the boxes, etc., in the office and note the result of the examination in the order book or in the error book as the case may be. When locks are supplied, he should see that they are of different patterns so that the keys of one department or branch cannot open the almirahs, etc., of another. Each safe supplied to an office, where the principle of joint custody is observed must be provided with two locks of different patterns.
2. When locks get out of order or damaged or become unserviceable in any way, they should not be repaired locally, but should in all cases be returned to the Depot, only one key will be supplied with each lock. If, in any case, the key of a lock is lost, the lock should be broken open and sent to the Depot and a new one will be supplied to replace it, the cost of which will be recovered from the official at fault. This penalty will ordinarily be enforced; but it is open to the Head of Circle, the Superintendent of Post Offices or of the Railway Mail Service, a fisrt class postmaster, in special cases, to recover less than the cost of an new lock and key. In no circumstances should a duplicate key be made or procured locally.

NOTE.—In the case of safes purchased from private manufacturers only one key will be supplied with the safe, the duplicate being retained in the Depot. But in the case of steel almirahs, cabinets, cupboards or lockers furnished with body locks which are ordinarily supplied by their manufacturers with duplicate keys, the same are kept in the Divisional Office of the Superintendent in whose jurisdiction the office is situated. The loss of the key of such a safe should be reported by telegram /fax to the Head of the Circle will cause the duplicate to be sent, while the loss of the key of such steel almirahs, cabinets etc., should be reported to the Divisional Superintendent quoting the particulars of the invoice with which the article was supplied to the office concerned.

Recoveries of the cost of lost or broken article

271.1 Whenever the cost of articles of stock lost or broken by postal officials is recovered from the official at fault or is made good by the officials themselves, it should be realized or paid in cash and credited in the accounts under

the head “Unclassified receipts”. A certificate of credit should be forwarded to the Superintendent for all recoveries ordered by him, or the postmaster or the Inspector; Posts or for the payments made by the officials concerned themselves. Postmasters of first class head offices should send copies of the recovery orders passed by them and the certificates of credit to the Superintendent by whom the accounts of their office are verified.

271/2 (1) When steel almirahs, cabinets, cupboard or locker furnished with body locks (which are furnished by their manufacturer with duplicate keys) are supplied to any office, i.e. Post, Mail, Record or Divisional Office for storage of records, forms etc., the duplicate keys of the same should be kept locked up in the Divisional Office in whose jurisdiction the office is situated in the joint custody of the office supervisor ASPOs (H.Q.) and Stock Asstt. of the Divisional Office, except the keys of the Heads of Offices, which should be sealed in an envelope with his personal seal and the sealed envelope should be sent to the Circle Office for safe custody. Each key should be properly labelled and entered in a register in the form below leaving sufficient space in between the entries to admit of particulars of subsequent issues of duplicate keys being entered.

Register of duplicate keys of steel almirahs, lockers, etc. with body lock supplied to offices in the Divisions by the Divisional Office.

Sl.	No. of duplicate	The office to	Particulars of invoice	Initial of the	Initial of the	Remarks
No.	keys	which steel	number with which	Office Supervisor /	Stock Asstt.
		almirah etc.	almirah etc. was	ASP (HQ)
		was supplied	supplied to the office
			concerned

(2)

When the original key is lost, the issue of a duplicate key should be authorised by the Divisional officer and necessary entries made in the register by the Stock clerk and attested by the Divisional Officer. The duplicate key should be sent by parcel post registered and insured for Rs. 100.

(3)

The duplicate keys of steel almirahs etc. supplied to the Circle/Administrative Offices should be retained with the Office Superintendent in joint custody with the officer who is treated as the Head of the Office for accounting purposes, the keys of confidential almirahs being kept in sealed covers.

(4)

Duplicate keys of all safes in the Stores Depot should be kept in a locked safe in the store Depot, in the joint custody of the Manager and the Superintendent of Head Assistant of the Circle Office. Each key should be properly labelled and entered in a register in the form below.

Register of duplicate keys of safe supplied to offices in the Circle

Sl.	No. of duplicate	Name of Office to	Initials of Office	Initials of	Remarks
No.	key	which the key belongs	Superintendent or	Managers
			Head Assistant

(5)

When the key of such a safe is lost, the Postmaster or Record Officer as the case may be, will report the fact by telegram /fax to the Head of the Circle and according to his orders the duplicate key should be issued after necessary entries have been made in the register by the Manager and the Supdt. or Head Assistant conjointly.

(6)

In cases where it is considered dangerous to allow the safe the key of which is lost, to remain in the office where the loss occurs, the Head of the Circle will arrange to have the safe withdrawn and supplied to another office situated in some other part of the Circle.

(7)

In the case of steel almirahs, cabinets, cupboards or lockers furnished with body locks (as distinct from padlocks) which are ordinarily supplied by their manufacturers with duplicate keys the same should be kept in the Divisional Office of the Supdt. in whose jurisdiction the office is situated in the joint custody of the ASPOs (H.Q.) and Stock Asstt. of the Divisional Office.

NOTE 1.—In places where there are workshops of the manufacturers who have manufactured the safe, the key of which has been lost, Heads of Circles may, in order to avoid transport and railway freight charges in sending the safe to other places, have the existing lever arrangement in the body locks of the safe altered and fresh keys prepared. This work should be carried out only by the manufacturer who made the safe. The safe may then be retained in the same office.

NOTE 2.—Indents for furniture may be submitted by a Supdt. only after personal inspection by him, or by the Inspector, of the office for which the articles are required, and there should be a note to this effect in the “Remarks” column of the indent.

NOTE 3.—In Circle where the Store Depot is located at a place different from the Circle Office, duplicate keys of the safes may be kept in the Circle Office itself in the joint custody of the Office Superintendent and the Assistant Director of Postal Services dealing with the Stock or Stores Depot. The Office Superintendent will maintain prescribed register of duplicate keys.

General Stock book

*272. A general stock book (Form S.K.-1) must be kept in every office. This book contains entries of all the entries of all the articles of stock belonging to the office, whether supplied by the Depot or obtained by local purchase or by transfer from other offices. In the case of a record office, the stock book contains entries of articles belonging to the office itself (in both its capacities, if it is a sub-record office), as well as to the section attached to it. These entries should be made in accordance with the instructions printed on the inside of the front cover immediately an article is received or disposed of. In the case of steel almirahs, cabinets, cupboards or lockers furnished with body locks which are ordinarily supplied by their manufacturers with duplicate keys, the key numbers should be entered in the remarks column of the stock book against the particulars of the article concerned. Bags should not be entered in the general stock book in the offices which have been authorised by the Head of the Circle to maintain the special form of stock register of bags [Form S.K.-1 (a)].

NOTE.—In combined offices care should be taken to keep the list of articles belonging to the telegraph branch, entered in the visiting book, corrected up-to-date.

*273. Articles given out from stock to replace damaged or unserviceable articles in portfolios or issued to sorters, should be written off from the stock book, the order authorizing the renewal being quoted in the book.

EXPLANATION.—The instructions in Rule 273 to the effect that articles issued in portfolios or to sorters should be written off the stock book, must not be taken to mean that all articles issued to sections, or (in case of sub-record offices) in use in the mail office itself, should be written off, as many of the articles issued to sections (e.g., name -stamps, type boxes, etc.) and all the articles in use in mail offices remain in the record office and can at any time be inspected by an officer visiting the office. These articles should, therefore, be borne on the stock book; only such articles as sets take away with them on trips should first be brought on to the stock book when received, and when issued, they should be written off.

Stock register of bags

274. Bags should be entered in the special form of stock register [S.K.-1(a)] in the office which have been authorized by the Head of the Circle to maintain it. In all other offices, the general stock book (Form S.K.-1) should be used for the purpose. These books should show the number of bags of each kind received and the number returned to the Depot or transferred to other offices or otherwise disposed of, as well as the balance in hand after each receipt or issue.

Stock register of forms, books and petty articles

275. A stock register for all varieties of forms should be maintained by all the Post Offices in Form S.K.-1 (b). The following forms and petty articles, regarding the custody of which special care is necessary, should be entered in a separate register which should also be maintained in Form S.K.-1 (b) :—

1. Books of M.O. receipts
2. Registered Journals
3. Registered V.P. Journals
4. Books of receipts for village postman and branch offices
5. T.M.O. advice books
6. Treasury passbook
7. Books of memos or remittance and books of treasury receipts
8. Books of vouchers for money drawn from the treasury
9. Books of advice of transfer (S.B.-9)
10. Identification cards (M.S.-3)
11. V.P. Parcel No. slip with the name of office of posting

* The Postmaster’s personal duties in this rule may, under the orders of the Head of the Circle, be performed by the deputy postmaster, assistant postmaster, or head clerk in the case of head offices and by the deputy sub-postmaster, assistant sub-postmaster or head clerk in the case of sub-offices.

1. Parcel No. slips with the name of the office of posting
2. Special V. P. Journal for V. P. parcel
3. V. P. Letter No. slip with name of office of posting
4. Registration No. slip with name of office of posting
5. Special V. P. Journal for V. P. articles of the letter mail
6. Treasury Vouchers
7. T.M.O. advice book for T.M.Os drawn on Aden & Foreign countries other than Srilanka
8. Order book
9. Books of preliminary receipts (NC-4 & SB-26)
10. Greeting telegrams Forms and covers
11. PCO Receipts (Eng.-8)
12. Receipt books for Telephone bills (Eng.-9) (dup. & trip.)
13. Receipt books for booking of Telegrams inland and foreign
14. Book of receipts (ACG-67)
15. Other books from which receipts are granted to the public in token of receiving money or the articles
16. Specimen Postal Certificates
17. Specimen British Postal Orders
18. Articles which have to be issued for consumption in small instalments e.g. stamping ink, carbonic paper, indelible pencils, and
19. Any other articles ordered by the Head of Circle to be treated as articles of stock.

NOTE 1.— In the case of books of vouchers for money drawn from the treasury the serial numbers of the books as entered in the invoice with which they are issued should also be entered in the register.

NOTE 2.—This rule does not apply to Saving Bank Pass Books for which special forms of stock registers are prescribed.

Check of Stock books on transfer of charge

276. When the charge of an office is transferred from one officer to another, the relieving officer should take over the articles of stock after carefully checking them with the general stock book and the stock register of bags and ,in the case of books and forms treated as articles of stock ,with the register. If any article is missing or damaged, a note should be written in the column for remarks of the stock book or stock register of bags and initialled by both the relieving and relieved officers, and a report made to the next higher authority.

Emergent indents

1. Officers in charge of offices should prepare indents on the Depot, in form SK.-2 or form Genl.-18, for articles of stock required for use in their offices; and the principal terminal office of a mail line should prepare indents for articles required for use on the mail line. In the case of a record office, the indent should be made for articles of stock required for the office itself (in both its capacities, if it is a sub-record office) and the sections attached to it. Indents for articles of stock are considered emergent indents, and there are no fixed dates for their submission. They should be prepared as articles are required, but, ordinarily, not more than one indent for the same office should be submitted in a month. Superintendents prepare indents for the articles required for themselves and for their inspectors.
2. Emergent indents should be prepared in triplicate whenever articles of stock are required, and all the three copies should be submitted by the indenting officer to the countersigning officer, who will, after filling in the column showing the number passed in all the copies of the indent and countersigning them, forward one copy to the Depot, return another to the indenting office for record and keep the third copy on his record for future reference.

278-A. The indent for replacement of an article of stock which is lost or damaged through the fault of a postal official and the cost of which is recovered and credited to Government should, except in the case of a branch office, be sent by the post office concerned direct to the Stores Depot accompanied by a certificate from the head postmaster giving particulars of the credit of the cost of the article including the number and date of the authority for the recovery of the same. If, in any case, only a portion of the cost of an article has been ordered to be recovered the fact should be noted in the credit memo. The Stores Depot should, before supplying the article indented for, satisfy itself that the cost of article to be replaced has been credited in full, or that the particulars of the authority for the recovery of a portion only of the cost are noted in the credit memo. In the case of branch offices under First Class Postmasters indents for such articles should be sent by the Public Relations Inspectors through the Postmaster. Indents for other branch offices should be prepared and sent by the Sub-divisional Inspectors (Posts).

NOTE 1.—If articles of stock other than those named in the list of such articles are required for use in a office, mail office or section, a requisition should be sent to the Superintendent.

NOTE 2.—In the case of a first class head office the indenting and counter articles are required for use in a record office, mail office or section, a requisition should be sent to the Superintendent.

2. After the article indented for has been supplied, the Stores Depot will send the certificate of credit received with the indent to the Superintendent by whom the accounts of the head office issuing the certificate are verified and in the case of certificate of credit issued by the head office at the Headquarters of the circle, to the Head of the Circle.

Countersignature of emergent indents

1. Indents prepared by first class postmasters do not require countersignature, and should be forwarded direct to the Depot. Indents prepared by other officer should be forwarded to the next higher authority for countersignature.
2. In the case of a mail line, the indent should be forwarded by the postmaster of the principal terminal office, whether it is a first class head office or not, to the Superintendent in charge of the line for countersignature.

Requisition for article procured locally

281. Every article of stock must be obtained from or through the Depot. If an article of stock which can be procured locally [as in the case of furniture, e.g., tables, stools, etc., of local manufacture, fragile articles, such as lamps, lanterns, etc., and their appurtenances (chimneys, globes, etc.)] is required for the use of an office, the officer in charge should apply by letter to the next higher authority for sanction to the expenditure if the same is beyond his powers of sanction. The local purchase may be made or recommended provided that in respect of articles which are manufactured in the Postal Workshop the local rates for articles of similar size and make do not exceed the rates (plus cost or transit) of the Postal Workshop, which can be ascertained by reference to the Depot.

Supply of articles in compliance with indents

1. Articles of stock indented for, the supply of which has been sanctioned by the Head of the Circle, will be received direct from the Depot, with an invoice (Form S.K.-3) containing a description of the articles. The invoice should be prepared in triplicate by means of carbonic paper, but two copies should be sent by the Depot to the indenting office. The invoice should be checked with the articles by the indenting officer, who should then sign both copies and file the third copy of it in the order of its Serial No. in the bundle of invoices for articles of stock received from the Depot. The required entries should be made in the stock book, the No. of the page allotted being noted against each article in the last column of the invoice.
2. The duplicate copy of the invoice (Form S. K.-3) should be duly receipted by the indenting officer and returned to the Depot.

NOTE.—When articles of stock despatched by rail or steamer have to be forwarded by road from a railway or steamer station to the office of destination and mazdoors or carts engaged for the purpose, the cost of conveyance should be paid by indenting officer of the office of destination and charged at once in the accounts as contingent expenditure, in anticipation of the sanction of the higher authority which should be applied for at once.

Discrepancies in invoices

284. It there is any discrepancy between the number or description of the articles of stock or stationery entered in an invoice and the number or description of the articles actually received, the indenting officer should make a note of it on the invoice and report the matter to the despatching officer. If, however, this does not result in a proper adjustment of stock, a report should be made to the supervising officer to whom the receiving office is subordinate.

Numbering of invoices

285. Invoices for articles or stock issued by the Depot to indenting offices will be consecutively numbered in an annual series commencing with No. 1 from the 1st of April in each year. Officers receiving such invoices should observe that the Numbers are in an unbroken series.

NOTE.—With a view to enable each indenting office to verify that all the invoices for the year have been received, a service postcard will be sent to it by the Depot on the 31st March of each year bearing the closing No. of the annual series, if no invoice is issued on that date.

Schedule of Forms

1. The Head of the Circle must prescribe the two six monthly periods for which forms are to be supplied to each offices in the circle. For this purpose, as many different six monthly periods as possible should be fixed and matters
2. should be so arranged that the Stock Depots/Store Depots will not be called upon to supply forms to any office during the month in which it has to count its stock and prepare its own requisitions. These periods should be distributed according to groups of offices—each group consisting of a number of head offices and all their subordinate offices, or of record offices, as the case may be—and not according to divisional groups.
1. A Master Schedule in the prescribed form will be supplied to the undermentioned offices by the officers noted against each :—

(1)

First Class Head Post Offices (Form SK-4)

(2)

Supdts. Offices (P.O. & R.M.S.) [Form SK-5and SK-5 (R)] Head of Circles

}

(3)

Postal Training Centres

(4)

Second Class Head Post Offices (Form SK-4) Supdts. of Post

}

(5)

Sub-Post Offices [Form SK-4 (S)] Offices

(6)

Record Offices [Form SK-5 (R)] } Supdt., R.M.S.

The Schedule will show the description, the average rate of consumption and the total number of copies of each of the different kinds of forms and labels required for use during a period of six months. The total number of copies of each form shown in the Schedule will be the number required for actual use plus a margin, on account of wastage of 2 per cent in case of forms for departmental use only, or of 10 per cent in the case of those for use by the public. Heads of circles may, in the case of selected big offices, increase the margin on account of wastage up to 15 per cent in respect of certain forms for use by the public e.g. Inland and Foreign Message Forms.

NOTE 1.— Schedules supplied to the Superintendents’ Offices will include the requirements of Inspectors under their control, those supplied to head and sub-offices will include the requirements to branch offices in direct account with them and those supplied to record offices will include the requirements of the sections attached to them.

1. A copy of the Master Schedule of Forms will be supplied to the Stores/Stock Depot concerned for its guidance in supplying forms or in checking the indents and another copy should be kept on record in the office of the officer who will supply the Master Schedule. The Master Schedule, subject to such alterations may be required from time to time, will be an authorisation for the offices to obtain supply of forms to the extent specified in it direct from the Postal Stores Depots/Postal Stock Depot concerned. Figures in the Master Schedule of Forms must, therefore, be compiled with the utmost care. No alteration will be made in the Master Schedule without the previous sanction of the officer by whom it was supplied. Whenever any alteration is ordered, it will be shown at once in the copy of the Master Schedule on record in the office of the officer who supplied the Master Schedule and will at the same time be communicated to the Stores Depot/Stock Depot and to the office concerned, with instructions that their copies of the Master Schedule should be corrected accordingly. The office concerned will correct its copy of the Master Schedule neatly in red ink over the initials of the officer incharge of the office. At the time of inspection of an office, the number of forms of each class in stock will be verified and after the requirements of the office are ascertained a note will be made in the inspection remarks suggesting suitable changes in the quantity of forms authorised in the Master Schedule. This will enable the controlling officer to modify the figures in the Master Schedule, if necessary.
2. The Master Schedule of Forms will, however, be thoroughly reviewed after every 5 years and the changes ordered during the intervening period will be incorporated, and the revised Master Schedule of Forms will be supplied to each office.
1. An indent in Form SK-85 will be placed direct on the supplying agency in all cases, where there is no variation in the demand from the authorised supply or the variation is within 10 per cent of the prescribed limit. The indent should be prepared in duplicate and signed by the incharge of the office, with a certificate to the effect that the indent has been prepared according to the authorised supply, as prescribed in the Master Schedule fixed for the office, and also taking into account the stock in hand.
2. For additional requirement of forms, the offices should prepare indent in the prescribed form and give justification for increase of demand in the remarks column, and submit it to the Controlling Officer, who after examining the justification for increase in demand countersign the Supplementary Indent and pass it on to the supplying agency for effecting supply.
1. The date of commencement of each of the two six monthly periods fixed for an office will be noted on the front cover of the Master Schedule of Forms supplied to it and the six monthly supply from the Stock/Stores Depot will be received by the office according to the indent submitted by it in full by the date of supply as laid down in Rule 293.
2. Six weeks before the date fixed for the supply of forms for each six monthly period, the officer incharge of the office must personally examine the stock of forms. This examination by the officer-in-charge of the office is of paramount importance.

During the last week of March every year the Superintendent of the Postal Stores Depot, including those at Kolkata, Aligarh, Nashik, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, should carry out detailed physical verification of every item of stock and froms alongwith his Inspection, and the verified balances of the articles of stock and forms should be brought forward in the new stock registers on the 1st of April every year. During this period of stock verification, the supplies to various offices will remain suspended.

Distribution of Forms

292. The Postal Stores Forms and Seals, Aligarh and Regional Forms Depots at Nashik, Bhubaneshwar, Thrissur and Kolkata will supply forms in bulk to other Postal Stores/Stock Depots as per the following distribution. In addition these five depots will also supply forms in retail to the post offices located in the Circles in which these Depots are located except those mentioned in the notes below this rule. Where there are more than one Postal Stores/Stock Depots in any Circle, the allotment of Post offices for the purpose of getting supplies of forms/articles of stock from these Postal Stores/Stock Depots shall be made by the Heads of Circles concerned. Sl. No. Name of the Postal Stores/Stock Depots Bulk supplies to be made by

1. Postal Stores Depot, Delhi RFD, Aligarh
2. Postal Stores Depot, Jammu Tawi Do.
3. Postal Stores Depot, Ambala Do.
4. Postal Stores Depot, Shimla Do.
5. Postal Stores Depot, Ludhiana Do.
6. Postal Stores Depot, Ajmer Do.
7. Postal Stores Depot, Jodhpur Do.
8. Postal Stores Depot, Jaipur Do.
9. Postal Stores Form and Seals,Aligarh Do.
10. Postal Stores Depot, Lucknow Do.
11. Postal Stores Depot, Saharanpur Do.
12. Postal Stores Depot, Varanasi Do.
13. Postal Stores Depot, Bareilly Do.
14. Postal Stores Depot, Ahmedabad RFD, Nashik
15. Postal Stores Depot, Rajkot Do.
16. Postal Stores Depot, Vadodara Do.
17. Postal Stores Depot, Bangalore Do.
18. Postal Stores Depot, Hubli Do.
19. Postal Stores Depot, Arsikere Do.
20. Postal Stores Depot, Mumbai Do.
21. Postal Stores Depot, Nagpur Do.
22. Postal Stores Depot, Nashik Do.
23. Postal Stores Depot, Kolhapur Do.
24. Postal Stores Depot, Bhopal Do.
25. Postal Stores Depot, Raipur Do.
26. Postal Stores Depot, Hyderabad RFD, Bhubaneshwar
27. Postal Stores Depot, Vijayawada Do.
28. Postal Stores Depot, Guntakal Do.
29. Postal Stores Depot, Rajahmundry Do.
30. Postal Stores Depot, Patna Do.
31. Postal Stores Depot, Muzaffarpur Do.
32. Postal Stores Depot, Ranchi Do
33. Postal Stores Depot, Bhubaneshwar Do.
34. Postal Stores Depot, Sambalpur Do.
35. Postal Stores Depot, Thrissur RFD, Thrissur
36. Postal Stores Depot, Thiruvananthapuram Do.
37. Postal Stores Depot, Kozekode Do.
38. Postal Stores Depot, Chennai Do.
39. Postal Stores Depot, Trichy Do.
40. Postal Stores Depot, Tirunelveli Do.
41. Postal Stores Depot, Madurai Do.
42. Postal Stores Depot, Coimbatore Do.
43. Postal Stores Depot, Kolkata RFD, Kolkata
44. Postal Stores Depot, Siliguri Do.
45. Postal Stores Depot, Guwahati Do.
46. Postal Stores Depot, Silchar Do.

NOTE 1.—Postal Stores Forms & Seals, Aligarh will make retail supply of forms to all the offices in U.P. Circle and articles of stock will be supplied by Postal Stores Depot, Lucknow.

NOTE 2.—Retail supply of forms to offices located in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra Circle will be made by Postal Stores Depot, Nagpur.

NOTE 3.—Certain offices located at Delhi/New Delhi have been specially authorised to obtain the supply of forms direct from P.S.F. & S., Aligarh instead of Postal Stock Depot, New Delhi.

1. The following table shows the latest dates by which half-yearly indents in Form SK-85 should be submitted by the Supdts. of Postal Stores Depots/Managers of Postal Stock Depots to the Supdt., P.S.F. & S., Aligarh/Supdt., Regional Forms Depot, Kolkata/Nashik Road/Thrissur and Bhubaneshwar, as the case may be, and the dates by which supplies will normally be completed.
2. The Supdt., Postal Store Depots/Managers, Postal Stock Depots should personally examine the stock of forms in hand and the quantity of forms for which local printing has been arranged by the Head of the Circle and keep these quantities in view while preparing the indents—
1. Separate indents should be prepared for the essential, non-essential, and civil standard forms. The essential and non-essential forms will be supplied to the Post Offices by the Postal Stores Depot/Postal Stock Depot of the Circle.
2. Every Postal Stores/Stock Depot will assess its requirements of forms for the next year, as accurately as possible, and furnish their forecast to the Supdt. of the Postal Stores, Forms and Seals, Aligarh or Regional Forms Depots, Kolkata, Nashik, Thrissur and Bhubaneshwar, as the case may be, so as to reach him by the end of December every year. The Superintendent, Postal Stores Forms and Seals, Aligarh and Regional Forms Depots, Nashik, Kolkata, Thrissur and Bhubaneshwar will scrutinize forecast figures received from the Store/Stock Depots in their supply jurisdiction to see that the forecast figures are not in excess and consolidate the forecast figures keeping in view the stock in hand, the supplies due from the presses and a buffer stock as 25 per cent, they will then furnish a forecast, accurately as possible, of their printing requirements, in January each year to the Managers of the Presses at Aligarh, Nashik, Kolkata, Koratty and Bhubaneshwar respectively.

Sl. No.		Name of the Postal	Source from which	Last dates by which	Dates by which
1.		Postal Stores Depot,	PSF&S, Aligarh	Ist March	Ist May
		Delhi		Ist September	Ist November
2.	Postal Stores Depot,		D o	Ist January	Ist March
	Jammu Tawi			Ist July	Ist September
3.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist January	Ist March
	Ambala			Ist July	Ist September
4.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist February	Ist April
	Shimla			Ist August	Ist October
5.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist February	Ist April
	Ludhiana			Ist August	Ist October
6.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist April	Ist June
	Ajmer			Ist October	Ist December
7.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist April	Ist June
	Jodhpur			Ist October	Ist December
8.	Postal Stores Depot,		D o	Ist March	Ist May
	Jaipur			Ist September	Ist November
9.	Retail Depot at		Do	Ist June	Ist August
	Aligarh			Ist December	Ist February
10.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist May	Ist July
	Lucknow			Ist November	Ist January
11.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist May	Ist July
	Saharanpur			Ist November	Ist January
12.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist June	Ist August
	Varanasi			Ist December	Ist February
13.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist June	Ist August
	Bareilly			Ist December	Ist February
14.	D.G. of Audit (P&T),		Do	Ist July	Ist September
	Audit Office			Ist January	Ist March
15.	Postal Stores Depot,		RFD, Nashik	Ist January	Ist March
	Ahmedabad			Ist July	Ist September
16.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist January	Ist March
	Rajkot			Ist July	Ist September
17.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist February	Ist April
	Vadodara			Ist August	Ist October
18.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist February	Ist April
	Bangalore			Ist August	Ist October
19.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist March	Ist May
	Hubli			Ist September	Ist November
20.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist March	Ist May
	Arsikere			Ist September	Ist November
21.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist April	Ist June
	Mumbai			Ist October	Ist December
22.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist April	Ist June
	Nagpur			Ist October	Ist December
23.	Retail Depot at,		Do	Ist June	Ist August
	Nashik			Ist December	Ist February
24.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist May	Ist July
	Kolhapur			Ist November	Ist January
25.	Postal Stores Depot,		Do	Ist May	Ist July
	Bhopal			Ist November	Ist January

293-295]			STOCK		43
Sl. No.		Name of the Postal Stores/Stock Depot	Source from which forms will be supplied	Last dates by which indents should reach	Dates by which supplies should be completed
26.		Postal Stores Depot, Raipur	R F D, Bhubaneshwar	Ist January Ist July	Ist March Ist September
27.	Postal Stores Depot, Hyderabad		Do	Ist January Ist July	Ist March Ist September
28.	Postal Stores Depot, Vijayawada		Do	Ist January Ist July	Ist March Ist September
29.	Postal Stores Depot, Guntakal		Do	Ist February Ist August	Ist April Ist October
30.	Postal Stores Depot, Rajahmundry		Do	Ist February Ist August	Ist April Ist October
31.	Postal Stores Depot, Patna		Do	Ist March Ist September	Ist May Ist November
32.	Postal Stores Depot, Muzaffarpur		Do	Ist March Ist September	Ist May Ist November
33.	Postal Stores Depot, Ranchi		Do	Ist April Ist October	Ist June Ist December
34.	Retail Depot at Bhubaneshwar		D o	Ist April Ist October	Ist June Ist December
35.	Postal Stores Depot at Sambalpur		D o	Ist April Ist October	Ist June Ist December
36.	Retail Depot at, Thrissur		R F D, Thrissur	Ist January Ist July	Ist March Ist September
37.	Postal Stores Depot, Thiruvananthapuram		Do	Ist January Ist July	Ist March Ist September
38.	Postal Stores Depot, Kozekode		D o	Ist February Ist August	Ist April Ist October
39.	Postal Stores Depot, Chennai		Do	Ist February Ist August	Ist April Ist October
40.	Postal Stores Depot, Trichy		Do	Ist March Ist September	Ist May Ist November
41.	Postal Stores Depot, Tirunelveli		Do	Ist March Ist September	Ist May Ist November
42.	Postal Stores Depot, Madurai		Do	Ist April Ist October	Ist June Ist December
43.	Postal Stores Depot, Coimbatore		Do	Ist April Ist October	Ist June Ist December
44.	Retail Depot at Kolkata		R F D, Kolkata	Ist February Ist August	Ist April Ist October
45.	Postal Stores Depot, Siliguri		Do	Ist January Ist July	Ist March Ist September
46.	Postal Stores Depot, Guwahati		Do	Ist January Ist July	Ist March Ist September
47.	Postal Stores Depot, Silchar		Do	Ist February Ist August	Ist April Ist October

This forecast will be followed by two half-yearly indents-one in March and the other in September. NOTE.—The following forms should be indented for in separate annual indents with the samples of the forms

alongwith the indents :—
(1)	RP-39	Registration Number Slip with name of office of posting.
(2)	RP-41	V.P. Letter Number Slip with name of office of posting.
(3)	RP-16	Parcel Number Slip with name of office of posting.
(4)	RP-17	V.P. Parcel Number Slip with name of office of posting.
(5)	RP-51	Registered Journal Parts I to V with distinguishing letter prefixed to the serial numbers.
(6)	RP-51 (a)	Registered V.P. Journal, Parts above Part X.
(7)	MO-1	Book of M.O. Receipts, Parts above Part XI.
		TABLE

Aligarh area circles	Kolkata area circles	Dates for indents
Uttar Pradesh Maharashtra North Western Madhya Pradesh	West Bengal and Assam Bihar and Orissa . . . Chennai . . .	1st February 15th April 1st July 15th September 1st July

Supply of Forms

296. The forms will be supplied to each office direct by the Postal Stock/Stores Depot where there is more than one Postal Stock/Stores Depot in a Circle, the Head of the Circle will allot offices to each Postal Stock/Stores Depot, for the purpose of supply of forms and stationery etc. Forms for branch post offices will be supplied to their account offices, which should in turn, supply to the branch post offices, according to requirements.

NOTE 1.—Certain units located at Delhi/New Delhi have been authorised to obtain their supplies direct from the Postal Stores Forms & Seals, Aligarh instead of Postal Stock Depot, New Delhi.

NOTE 2.—Post offices located in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra Circle will obtain their supplies from the Postal Stores Depot, Nagpur.

1. The forms will normally be sent in bags or in packets, if found convenient. If the forms are supplied by the Stores/Stock Depot in more than one bag or packet, it will enclose in each bag or packet at serially numbered slip, bearing the address of the consignee as noted on the label pasted on the bag or packet and words “Further supply will follow”, except in the case of the last bag or packet completing the supply, when the words “This completes the supply” will be written. The series should commence with No. 1 for each office. The officer-in-charge of the receiving office should note the quantities of forms actually received with each slip alongwith the date of receipt of the consignment in the remarks column of the office copy of the indent, against the entry of forms concerned. If there is any break in the continuity of the serial number of the slip,a report should be made to the Postal Stores/Stock Depot from which the supply is received.
2. When only part supply of forms is made by the Postal Stores/Stock Depots at the time of initial supply, the pending indent will be reviewed periodically during the six-monthly period of supply and forms which are subsequently available will be supplied to the offices concerned against the pending indent. The periodical review will continue till the six-monthly supply is completed or indent for the next six-monthly supply is received in the Postal Stores/Stock Depots.
1. The supplies of forms by the Postal Stores/Stock Depots will be accompanied by two copies of the invoice. The receiving office, after checking the forms with the entries in the invoice, will retain one copy, and return the other to the supplying authority duly signed. The invoice shall be consecutively numbered for each half-yearly period of supply. In the first invoice of the Half-Yearly supply, the serial number of the last invoice of the preceding half-yearly period may be mentioned to enable the office to keep a watch that all the invoices issued during the preceding half-yearly period of supply have been accounted for.

NOTE 1.—When forms are supplied by a Postal Stores/Stock Depot to another Postal Stores/Stock Depot which is not in its supply jurisdiction, a copy of the invoice will be forwarded to the Postal Stores Depot from where supplies are normally made to that Postal Stores/Stock Depot to enable to it adjust the supplies against the pending indent.

NOTE 2.—Savings bank pass-book and books of money order receipts required for head and sub-offices and registered journals required for mail offices will be supplied separately to the head offices or sub-record offices concerned in the same manner as articles of stock. Such other books and forms as the head of the Circle may prescribe will also be treated as articles of stock.

NOTE 3.—Account Office may supply complete set of 20 Books of Money Order Receipts to selected sub-offices. In respect of other sub-offices the Books of Money Order Receipts and books of receipts and registered journals for branch offices should be issued once at a time as required. It will be the duty of the sub-postmaster to indent for the book of money order receipts when required but the account office should see (from a scrutiny of the index) that a new book of receipts is supplied to the branch office in good time irrespective of the fact whether the branch postmaster himself asks for it or not.

NOTE 4.—When forms despatched by rail or steamer have to be forwarded by road from a railway or steamer station to the office of destination and mazdoors or carts are engaged for the purpose, the cost of conveyance should be paid by the officer-in-charge of the office of destination and charged at once in the accounts as contingent expenditure in anticipation of the sanction of the higher authority which should be applied for at once.

299. The bags, in which forms are received, should at once be returned to the Stock Depot either empty or filled with unserviceable articles, if any.

NOTE 1.—In the case of an experimental office, the account office should, before supplying it with forms of acknowledgement for a registered article of the letter or parcel mail, or money order forms, impress its name-stamp on the acknowledgements or acknowledgement portions of the forms.

Custody and storage of forms

300. Special attention must be paid to the proper custody and storage of forms. In the larger offices, the forms should be kept in a separate locked room or godown neatly arranged on racks. In the smaller offices, they should be kept in the office room neatly arranged on racks or in almirahs. Forms should on no account be kept in bags or left on the floor nor should they be stored where they are likely to be destroyed by white ants and other vermin.

Articles returned to be accompanied by invoices

1. When articles of stock are sent to the depot, they should be accompanied by an invoice, the reason for the return of each article, i.e., whether it is sent for repairs or as unserviceable and the No. and Date of order of the authority directing the return of the article, being noted in the column for remarks. In returning bags, care should be taken to detail them in the invoice according to their standard sizes.
2. Invoice of articles returned to the Depot (Form S.K.-3) should be prepared in triplicate by means of carbonic paper and numbered in an annual series commencing with No.1 for each year. Two copies of the invoice should be despatched with the articles and the other should be kept on record in the office. The number of page of the stock book, on which the article is entered, should be noted in the last column of the office copy of the invoice which should then be kept in a separate bundle, arranged in the order of its serial number.
3. The duplicate copy of the invoice (Form S.K.-3) should be duly receipted by the officer-in-charge of the Depot and returned to the office, and it should be filed with the copies of invoices on record in that office.
4. When there are no articles for despatch to the Depot on the 31st March, the closing No. of the annual series of invoices should be initimated to the Depot on that date by means of a service postcard, bearing the entry “Closing No. (No.) of invoices for (year)” over the signature of the despatching officer and an impression of the name-stamp of the office. The closing No. should be noted on the reverse of the office copy of the last invoice sent to the Depot.
5. When an office is closed before the end of an official year, the closing No. of the series of invoices despatched by it during the year should be intimated to the Depot on the last working day and noted in the office copy of the last invoice in the manner prescribed in Rule 304.

Transfer of surplus articles or Forms

306. Articles of stock, or blank books, or forms found to be in excess of the requirements of an office, owing to the status of the office having been changed, or from any other cause, may be transferred, under orders of the competent authority, to any other office requiring them. This rule does not, however, apply to stamps or seals engraved with the name of an office which when no longer required, must be returned to the Depot from which they were supplied. When articles of stock are transferred from one office to another, the order authorising the transfer must be noted in the stock book.

NOTE 1.—When a head office is converted into a Sub-office all the books of Money order receipts (unused or partially used) should be sent to the head office under the jurisdiction of which the new Sub-office is placed. In this case, and also when a Sub-office is converted into a head office all unused books of money order receipts should be entered in the head office in the register prescribed for the purpose while used or partially used books of money order receipts should be kept in the personal custody of the head postmaster. When a head office is closed, the books of money order receipts (unused or partially used) should be sent to the Postal Stores/Stock Depot.

NOTE 2.—During the last week of March every year the Supdts. of the Postal Store Depots will carry out the detailed verification of every item of stock and forms alongwith his inspection of the office. Supplies to various offices will remain suspended during this period. Only the verified balances of articles of stock and forms will be brought forward in the new registers commencing from 1st of April each year.

Disposal of obsolute forms

307. When forms, with the exception of those mentioned below, become obsolute, they should be torn up and sold as wastepaper, unless otherwise specified by special instructions or they can be utilised for making envelopes etc. The following forms, viz :—

Registered Journals, Parcel Journals,

V.P.

Letter Journals,

V.P.

Parcel Journals, Books of M.O. Receipts, Books of B.O. Receipts,

V.P.

M’s. Book of Receipts,

T.

M. O. Advice Books, Receipt Books for booking to Telegrams, Receipt Books for PCOs & Telephone Bills,

Other receipt books from which Post offices grant receipts to the members of public.

When they become obsolute, should be destroyed by fire, in the presence of the offcer-in-charge of the office.

In Head Offices, the latter course should also be adopted as regards Savings Bank and other varieties of Pass Books. The spoilt and obsolute Pass Books should be destroyed in the presence of the Sr. Supdt./Supdt. of Post Offices at the time of verification of the Accounts of the Head Post Office and the total number of Pass Books destroyed should be entered in the Stock Register of Pass Books, under the Sr. Supdt./Supdt’s. initials.

308. In head offices, the latter course should also be adopted as regards savings bank pass-books, the total number of pass-books burnt being entered in the stock register of pass-books, under the head post master’s initials.

PART II-SPECIAL RULES FOR POST OFFICE AND RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE List of articles of stock

309. The following articles are comprised in the term ‘article of stock’ —

(a) In Post Offices—Furniture, maps, stamps, seals, scales, letter-boxes, bags and every other kind of articles used in a Post Office except books and forms.

NOTE.—The office order book and all books of reference should, however be treated as articles of stock.

(b) In the Railway Mail Service—

Acme boards Carpets

Badges Clocks.

Bags. Files, brass

Belts (leather and cloth) Furniture.

Books—Office order book, nominal Hand-carts and trucks

Roll of token holders, stationery Hones*.

Register and books of reference. Ink-pots*.

Ink-stands* Pots (for paste)

Knives* India-rubber.

Label cases Rulers*

Lamps and lanterns with accessories Safes.

Letter-boxes (portable and pillar) Scales and Weights (letter and parcel)

Locks and keys Scissors

Maps Sealing stoves.

Metal tokens Seals

Needles* Stamp-cases

Notice and sign-boards Stamps*

Pads (ink and stamping) Strops*.

Paper-weights* Tarpaulins

Pincers (for adjusting type) Time-pieces

Portfolios Tin-boxes for insuance seals

Tin-boxes for security bonds

Type-boxes

Waste paper baskets.

Standard sizes of the bags

310. The sizes of the bags indented for should be adopted to the requirements of the office or section concerned, the following are the standard classes of bags :—

I. Jute Unproofed Canvas Mail bags

No. 1, Type C-I No. 2, Type C-III No. 3, Type C-V		Size : 122 x 43 x 43 cms. Jute Unproofed Size : 81 x 35.50 x 35.50 cms Canvas Mail Size : 60 x 35.50 cms. Bags.}
II.	Blue Air Mail Bags (Dosuti)
	No. 1, Type AM-I No. 2, Type AM-II	Size : 105 x 35 x 35 cms. Size : 75 x 35 x 35 cms. Blue Air Mail Bags }

(Dosuti)

III. Nylon Air Mail Bags Oxford Blue Water Repellent

No. 1, Type N-I Size : 120 x 75 cms.

}

No. 1, Type AM-I Size : 100 x 65 cms. Convergence of Foreign Mail

* See rule 376.

IV. Different Types of Bags

(i) Red Account Bags.

Size I : 75 x 35 cms. Size II : 45 x 35 cms. ^} Dosuti.

(ii) Green Cash Bags

Size I : 45 x 35 cms. Size II : 25 x 15 cms. ^} Dosuti.

(iii) Drill Sacks Mineral Khaki Bags

Size I : 68.6 x 45.72 cms. Size II : 86 x 68 cms. ^} Dosuti.

(iv) Water Proof Canvas Delivery Bags.

Grade No. 4 of IS ; 1259-1977 Dark Brown.

}

No. 1. size 14” x 9” No. 2. size 9” x 6” _}Leather with locks #No. 3. size 18” x 12”

311. Jute Canvas bags, size No. C-III and Blue Air Mail bags, size No. AM-III should be used for closing registered bags amd small ‘L’ bags, Jute Unproofed Canvas Mail Bags must not be used for air transmission and Blue Air Mail Bags should not be used for surface transmission.

Distinctive marks on bags

312. The words “India Post” are stamped, two inside and two outside, on each face of all bags other than Dosuti, bags of the samllest size which are stamped with the letters “I.P.O.” instead. The following distinctive marks are also used :—

(i)

Jute canvas bags.—Two one-inch blue stripes interwoven in material down the length of the bag.

(ii)

Disuti bags - Sets of four thin black lines woven in the material.

313. The wilful obliteration or mutilation of any of these marks will be severely punished.

Examination of bags

1. Every postmaster or record clerk, as the case may be, should at least once in every quarter, count and examine the bags of his office and satisfy himself that they are correct and in once in serviceable condition and that bags of suitable sizes are kept in stock. Indent should be submitted in due time for new bags to replace those that are worn out and unfit for use. In Head Offices, the result of the examination should be recorded in the Postmaster’s Order Book.
2. Soiled bags should, whenever necessary, be washed locally under the orders of the Superintendent.

* See Rule 376. # Leather cash bags of this size are for use in Mumbai Circles only.

List of Stamps and Seals

316. The following is a list of stamps and seals authorised to be used in Post Offices and in Railway Mail

Offices and Sections :— Name of stamp or seal Remarks

I. In Post Offices

Stamps

Name-stamp with/without Pin code Supplied to all offices, except those which have the next stamp.

Name-stamp with name of district Supplied to offices which are litle known, or which are likely to be confounded with other officers,owing to similarity of names.

Date-stamp with hour-type with/without Pin code Supplied to all offices.

New round obliterator stamp with/without Pin code Supplied to offices which have two or more deliveries daily.

Round money order stamp, Supplied to all offices. Combined oblong Stamp, Postatge Due Stamp—nP.

Cash paid stamp		Supplied to all Head Offices.
Dated insurance stamp	Seals	Supplied to Head Offices when ordered by the Head of the circles.
Date-seal	.	Supplied to all offices.
Registration seal Parcel seal Insurance seal Sub-account seal		Supplied to all Head Offices and to Sub-offices when ordered by the Superintendent.
Sorting seal		Supplied to Head and sub-Offices when ordered by the Superintendent.
Cash seal II.In R.M.S. Offices a	nd Section Stamps	Supplied to all Head Offices and also to sub-offices when ordered by the Superintendent.
Name-stamp of set		Supplied to all sections and mail offices. Each set of a section is provided with a name-stamp with the words “Out” and “In”movabletype.
Name-stampof record offices		Suppliedtoallrecordoffices.
Name-stamp of sub-record office		Supplied to all head record offices.
Name-stamp of head record office		Supplied to all sub-record offices, except those to which no sections are attached.
Date-stamp of set		supplied to all sections and mail offices. Each set of a section is provided with a date-stamp with the words “Out”and “in” in movable type. The date-stamp supplied to mail offices at which, on anaverage, 150 ormore articles are posted daily are fitted with movable hour-type.

316]		STOCK	50
Date-stamp of record office Date-stamp of head record office Obliterator with wavy lines No. slip name-stamp Postage-due stamp with blank space			Supplied to all record offices, except those which have the next stamp. Supplied to all head record offices. Supplied to mail offices at which on an average, 150 or more articles (registered and unregisted taken together) are posted daily. Thisstamp is fitted with movable hour-type. Supplied to all mail offices. Supplied to all sorting sections and sorting and transit mail of offices.The stamp supplied to sections is fitted with the words “Out” and ‘In” in movable type.
Detained : late-fee-not-paid			Supplied to all sections and to mail offices at which late letter fee is imposed.
Lable name-stamp*			Supplied to all record offices, except those to which no sections are attached. Each such record office will
Seals			be supplied with two stamps for each section under its control -- one for the out-trip and the other for the in-trip.
Date-seal of set Registration seal of set			Supplied to all sections and mial offices. Each set of a section is provided with a date-seal with the words “out” and “In” in movable type. Supplied to sorting sections and sorting mail offcies in which a special registration sorter is employed. Each set of such a section is provided with a registration seal with the words “Out” and “In” in movable type.
Parcel seat of set Combined Registration and Parcel seal of Insurance seal of set Mail seal of set of mail office	set.		Supplied to sorting sections and sorting mail offices in which a special parcel is employed. Each set of such a section is provided with a parcel seal with the words “Out” and “In” movable type. Supplied to sorting sections and sorting mail offices in which one and the same person is employed for both the registration and parcel sorting work. Each set of such a section is provided with a combined Registration and Parcel seal with the words “Out” and “In” in movable type. Supplied to all sorting sections and a section is provided with an insurance sorting mail offices. Each set of a seal with the words “Out” and “In” movable type. Supplied to sorting mail offices in which a special official is employed for mail work.
Date-seal of record office			Supplied to all record offices, except those which have either of the next two seals.
Date-seal of head record office			Supplied to all head record offices.
Date-seal of sub-record office			Supplied to all sub-record offices, except those to which no sections are attached.
.

*The stamps marked with an asterisk are rubber stamps.

NOTE.—One date-stmap and one date seal with letters and words in movable type are supplied to the office of each Superintendent, Railway Mail Service, for temporary use in section on occasions when stamps and seals are lost, or sent to the Stock Depot for repairs, or when a special set is established temporarily in cases of breaches and on other occasions of similar nature. The stamps and seals when not required for actual use should

personal custodyof the head record clerk.

NOTE—2. In mail offices in which the sets of sorters on night duty work in two batches, separate stamps and seals bearing distinguishing letters may be suppplied under the orders of the Head of the Circle to the two batches.

Entry of names of stamps and seals in indents

317. Indenting Officers should be careful to enter the name of each stamp and seal correctcly in their indents.

Supply of stamping-ink

1. Black and magenta stamping-ink will be supplied by the Stock Depot on indents received. Instructions for using rubber stamps
2. The following instructions should be attended to when using rubber stamps :—

1. Gently tap the pad with the stamp and press the stamp lightly on the paper, which should lie on a perfectly even surface.
2. Do not press the stamp heavily on the pad , as this overloads it with ink and causes an imperfect and bllurred impression. Avoid pressing or stamping the rubber stamps on the paper with force, as this injures the type.
3. Wash the face of the stamp frequently with soap and water and scrub with a soft brush or linen rag.
4. Keep all rubber stamps in a box or drawer safe from dust and wind.

Instructions for using pads for rubber stamps

320. In using pads, the following instructions should be observed :—

1. To ink a pad, pour the ink into the rough or well provided on one side of the tin case. The ink will soak into the pad which will then be ready for use. Do not pour ink upon the surface of the pad.
2. If the pad becomes dirty, rub the surface clean with a dump rag, before again recharging the pad.
3. If the pad inks too freely, draw off the excess lightly with a piece of blotting paper.
4. Always keep the cover closed down, when the pad is not in use.

Description of various kinds of scales

1. The sizes and descriptions of the scales to be indented for by an office should be adapted to its requirments. A description of the standard sizes of scales will be found in the rate contract of the Directorate General, Supplies and Disposals, which will be supplied to every indenting officer.
2. Special scales manufactured on the principle of goldsmith’s scales may be supplied, under the orders of the Head of the Circle to any post office for the purpose of weighing cash.

NOTE.—In sub-offices, letter scales of the second size (B 6) and parcel scales of the third or fourth size (B 3 or B 4) should ordinarily suffice.

Scales to be tested occasaionally

323. The official in charge of a post office or mail office should take care that the scales and weights in his office are kept clean, as the necessary delicacy of movement in scales can be obtained only when they are perfectly clean. He should occasionally examine the scales and weights, test them, and satisfy himself that they are in good order and correct and that they are not subjected to rough usage.

NOTE.—This rule applies also to be record clerk of a replenishing office in respect of the scales and weights issued by him to sections.

List of furniture

324. (1) The number, size and pattern of articles of furniture required for an office will depend on the size and importance of the office and the number of officials employed in it.

(2) The following are the principal articles of furniture ordinarily required for a post office :—

A Stamping table. A Delivery table. For Head Offces.

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A distributing table. A table for stamping , opening and distributing mails for sub-offices. Office tables, with drawers, for the postmaster and Assistants. A chair for the postmaster. A Chair for Assistants Stools for Assistants and postmen Almirahs for records. One or more sorting cases. A window delivery sorting case*. A deposit case*. Mail boxes. A parcel box*. One or two iron safes. Office boxes for the postmaster, deputy postmaster, treasurer, registration, subaccount, parcel, money

order and savings bank Assistants. A type box. A sealing stove*. Lamps. A clock or time-piece. A bag-stand. A letter-box.

NOTE.—In the larger offices cash chests or strong boxes may, if necessary, be supplied for the use of the treasurer and the money order and savings bank Assistants, in lieu of office boxes.

(2)

In the case of the Railway Mail Service, the principal articles of furniture ordinarily required are as follows :—

(i)

For record offices (ii) For mail offices.

An office table, with drawers, for the record clerk An office table, with drawers. A table for sorters. A stamping table*. A stamping table. Chairs and stools for sorters. A chair for the record clerk. A time-piece*. Chairs and stools for sorters. A bag-stand. A practice sorting-case. An office-box (with lock and key) for articles

registered.

Almirahs for records and articles of stationery, stock, and An almirah for records, forms, stock, etc. books and forms. Stamp-case. One or